Oslo was a crazy city. As a foreigner I *highly* suggest that you don’t ever ever drive there. They have electronic tolling stations all over the place – and their roads are near impossible to navigate.

Unfortunately I’ve been very slack keeping this blog up at the moment – so I don’t have time to write the longest story. Still, I’ll try to be more regular.

All of the above pictures are from the Viegland Sculpture Park. Built in 1926->44 it’s an odd place. Nazi’s loved it though for its portrayal of the Might of Man.

Inge found some time to fish.

Oh, also there’s a period at the end of school when Norways kids so completely and totally mental. They’re called ‘red shirts’ (as they all wear.. yes.. red shirts).. Can’t find any links unfortunately.

They also have interesting toilet signs.

And finally, lots of viking and maritime exhibitions. They really did get about these people. I really enjoyed the exhibition on the Kon-Tiki expedition. Thor Heyerdahl sailed across the pacific on a raft constructed out of balsa logs and other native materials in an indigenous style as recorded in illustrations by Spanish conquistadores.

Very cool. They also (and quite apt today I suppose) found lumps of OIL in the sea. At that time tankers used to empty their holds in the middle of the ocean. Honestly – we’re so messing our little planet up. Sigh.

So yes, we had a lovely time in Oslo with Guusje and Inge.

Unfortunately – at this time the volcano in Iceland was sending ash down again – so we skipped off early (at massive expense) to London. And I’ll try and write about that within a week or so :)

Flew into Norway (Hurrah! no Volcano) and Guusje (try pronounce her name *if you dare*) met us off the bus in Oslo. Which was good – as it’s a maze of a place. Or at least, at 1am it is. Maaike and Guusje met back teaching in the languages department in TCD many moons ago.

Guusje is now living in Oslo with her partner Inge – who is an excellent chef and a great wit – and a very very keen fisherman. And really, with a 10 day walk of a forest on your back doorstep – with literally thousands of little lakes full of trout it’d be a great place to be a fisherman.

So – a 10 minute car drive from the city centre the forest starts. There are tracks throughout for cross country skiing and huts to stay in, and there was still snow in the forest.

So, this fishing lark is *actually* harder than it looks. I suspect there’s something Darwinian going on. Presumably after all the fishes who like shiny metal hooks have been caught – then the genes change. But not fast enough for this delicious brown trout that Inke caught for us.

It was a great first impression of Oslo. I can’t really think of another capital which has such amazing outdoors opportunities just 10 mins from the centre.

Don’t worry – it’s not all roses (especially for tourists) but that’s more to do with oil and the shrewdness of the Norwegians. More to come…..

So, leaving Posterholt, it was off to Amsterdam for drugs and debauchery culture and sightseeing.

It’s a funny old place really, and a lot of the houses seem to be just about to fall over… (even more so since they put in a tunnel and didn’t adequately check for subsidence!)

Two things you might notice in the above photo. The rubbish – ‘cos the cleaners are on strike – and, way harder to see (might even be impossible at that resolution) – most of the houses have hooks at the very very top. See, if you want to move house – the way to do it is to winch it up via those hooks (and a rope you can hire from the council??! I think)

Anyway – went for a wander through the streets. I was just taking a picture of some canals (not this pic)…

… when Maaike said “Perhaps you shouldn’t – we’re in the red light district. I had actually been quite oblivious (just thought it was a little seedy). However, when you actually look about and see the girls purveying their wares in the windows – well, it’s quite obvious where you are. Slightly unsettling too.

What was more unsettling was going to the World Press Photography exhibition in the old church. This picture of a young Israeli man throwing wine over an old Palestinian woman was, I thought, horrendous. Not as brutal as many of the other photo’s – but it’s incredible what humanity can do. Or – what humanity can be taken from people.

Sigh, anyway – Amsterdam was a groovy city – would be fun to spend some more time there perhaps!